NY Islanders 7thWoman
Unique Perspectives from behind the scenes and on the fringe of Islanders Hockey and the NHL

Friday, May 13, 2011

Gremlin Signs for Five

Today the Islanders’ news didn’t come first from their PR Department or their beat writer or any of the other men and women stepping all over each other covering this team but from the man who put his name on the dotted line.

Yes, the power of Twitter reined supreme this morning as Michael Grabner himself announced to his 18,654 followers, “I am happy to announce that I will be an Islander for the next five years.new building,new contract and new baby.what a great year!!!!!”

An hour later Matt Moulson Tweeted congratulations, “Wohoo! Just got out of workout and saw the news.Congrats to @grabs40! Well deserved so happy for the Gremlin”Daddy Gremlin has had a spectacular year, one he probably didn’t think he’d have after being placed on waivers by the Panthers following a sub-par training camp. Is anyone else wondering if they’re kicking themselves about now?

Gremlin, the nickname given to him by Andy MacDonald that seems to have stuck like glue. Although Andy MacDonald doesn’t seem old enough to really remember the movie Gremlins, the 1984 horror/comedy about the strange little creatures that start out so cute and cuddly and turn into chaos inducing demons. (Voice supplied by Howie Mandel). It’s said Bruno Gervais designed the new t-shirt that Grabner fans are lining up to purchase.

No matter who announced the news first, it couldn’t come quick enough. Since the end of Grabner’s 34 goal season, fans have been begging for Grabner to be signed. I too asked Garth Snow about five times “So, when are you signing him?” to which he responded, “Don’t worry. He’ll be an Islander for a very long time.”

True to his word, Garth Snow worked out a very impressive five-year deal with the two-way forward whom Snow called “an elite player in this league” in today’s press release. I tried to get my own quotes out of the General Manger, but only received “it’s a fair deal for both.” Um, I’m thinking it’s a little more than “fair.” As a RFA the Islanders only had to issue a qualifying offer, but worked out a deal that pays Grabner a cool $1 million next season and then adds a million a year for the next four years giving them a reasonable cap hit of $3 million a year.

It seems the announcement made Matt Moulson (signed recently for 3 years) mumble that he hopes to stay here longer too. With the hope of a new arena and a healthy team, can you blame them? Isn’t that nice to hear after all the negative press we are force fed about the team, the management and fan apathy?

NOTE TO NAYSAYERS: THESE GUYS LIKE IT HERE.

Also, they too see a bright future with this talented core of young players. Like the fans, they are looking forward to seeing what sort of success they will have. In Grabner’s own words from the release:

“I’m really happy knowing I’ll be staying here on Long Island, especially after Wednesday’s news of a new arena,” Grabner said. “We have a lot of young, talented players who came together last year and I am thrilled to have the chance to be a part of getting this team back to the playoffs.”

1 comment:

Hey, Dee! I really enjoy your blog and your unique perspectives on the Isles and other related (even notso related) topics. Been reading it, on and off, for almost three years. Keep up the good work! BTW, where do I go to find out about events like the Grabner signing? I'm a die-hard fan and I check the NYI website frequently for events, but I keep missing them.